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Date: November 22, 2024 Fri
Time: 12:19 pm
Time: 12:19 pm
Results for drug traffickers
9 results foundAuthor: Weber, Samantha, ed. Title: Continued Cultivation of Illegal Marijuana in U.S. Western National Parks Summary: Since 1998, at least 10 western national parks were used as illegal marijuana cultivation sites by Mexican-national drug traffic organizations. This paper documents the continued use of national park lands as illegal cultivation sites through 2011. During the grow season of 2010, the Drug traffic organizations began scouting the hills of Whiskeytown in mid-winter. Supplies and personnel to manage the sites were in place as early as March. Rangers detected six grow sites within Whiskeytown National Recreation Area boundary, and several sites immediately adjacent to the park. Rangers eventually removed 26,028 plants, which had a street value of $78,840,000. Six foreign nationals were arrested, some with weapons, and all believed to be associated with the Mexican drug traffic organizations. Similar situations occur at Sequoia and Kings Canyon Na - tional Parks, Yosemite National Park, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Pt. Reyes National Seashore, Santa Monica National Recreation Area, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, and North Cascades National Park. The drug trafficking organizations are operating year round within the parks. Added to this problem is the increasing number of quasi-legal medical marijuana grow sites operating on remote private land surrounding the parks, often within the same watersheds. Details: Hancock, MI: The George Wright Society, 2012. 8p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 2, 2012 at: http://www.georgewright.org/1138milestone.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://www.georgewright.org/1138milestone.pdf Shelf Number: 125119 Keywords: Drug TraffickersDrug TraffickingMarijuana (U.S.)National ParksPark Rangers |
Author: Iowa Public Safety Advisory Board Title: Final Report: Outcomes of Mandatory Minimum Sentences for Drug Traffickers Summary: A mandatory minimum sentence requires that offenders serve a certain portion of their sentence in confinement, without the possibility of parole, until they have served the required portion of time. Mandatory minimum sentencing became popular in the 1980s and 1990s as a proposed way to control crime and create equity in sentencing. However, a growing body of research indicates that mandatory sentencing is ineffective and has not reduced recidivism rates or gender, age, and race disparities. In addition, exceptions in the law allow for reductions in mandatory sentencing if offenders provide helpful information to authorities, typically benefiting high risk offenders and resulting in a higher incarceration of low risk offenders. This study was undertaken to assess the effectiveness of mandatory minimum sentences for drug traffickers. In Iowa, the drug offender mandatory minimum is required by Code of Iowa §124.413 and requires offenders to serve at least one-third of the maximum sentence of their offense class. Code of Iowa §901.10 allows for reductions in the mandatory minimum sentence. The cohort studied here included drug traffickers who entered prison as new admissions or probation violators and who were released from prison or work release in FY2007. Those who served mandatory sentences were compared to those whose mandatory sentences were waived (eligible but not serving a mandatory sentence). The total in the study cohort was 625. The outcome of interest in the study was recidivism, defined as a return-to-prison within three years. Outcomes for all cohort members were examined excluding foreign born offenders who may not have had an opportunity to recidivate due to deportation or federal incarceration. The major findings are summarized below. Detailed data and other findings are provided in the outcomes section. Details: Des Moines: Iowa Department of Human Rights, Division of Criminal and Juvenile Justice Planning, 2011. 50p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 2, 2012 at: http://www.humanrights.iowa.gov/cjjp/images/pdf/PSAB_MandatoryMinimumReport2011.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://www.humanrights.iowa.gov/cjjp/images/pdf/PSAB_MandatoryMinimumReport2011.pdf Shelf Number: 125125 Keywords: Drug OffendersDrug TraffickersMandatory Minimum SentencesSentencing (Iowa) |
Author: Clemens, Austin Title: Asset Forfeiture in Texas: DPS and County Interactions Summary: Between 2003 and 2012, law enforcement agencies in Texas confiscated approximately $486 million in asset forfeiture cases. Texas is a target-rich environment for this law enforcement method due to the state's proximity to the Mexican border. Large shipments of drugs are sent north on Texan highways, while money earned from drug trafficking heads south. One of the most active interdiction agencies is the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS). Stops made by Highway Patrol can sometimes lead to multi-million dollar asset seizures. DPS can pursue either federal or state prosecution of suspects in these cases. This decision has important implications for District Attorneys (DA) in Texas, who receive a share of forfeited funds when state prosecution is pursued but will usually receive nothing in a federal prosecution. The choice can create tension between DAs and DPS. As requested by the legislature, this report explores the dynamic between DPS and the DAs in DPS-initiated forfeitures. Case data in 20 sampled counties from 2003 to 2012 are analyzed to determine: 1) trends in DPS interdiction behavior, 2) net benefits for counties of an average forfeiture case, and 3) patterns of expenditures and reliance on forfeiture funds in counties. Statewide forfeiture audit data reported to the Office of the Attorney General and interviews with DPS officials and nine district attorneys were also incorporated into the analysis. Details: Austin, TX: Texas Office of Court Administration, 2015. 62p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 14, 2015 at: http://www.txcourts.gov/media/782473/sting-report-final.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: http://www.txcourts.gov/media/782473/sting-report-final.pdf Shelf Number: 137290 Keywords: Asset ForfeitureDrug TraffickersProceeds of Crime |
Author: Van Heerden, Anjelee Title: Drug Trafficking: The Use of South African Drug Mules in Crossborder Smuggling Summary: This study was conducted in order to gain a better understanding of the phenomenon of drug trafficking with specific reference as to how South African drug mules are used in cross-border drug smuggling. Through media analysis, semi-structured interviews with drug trafficking experts and a literature study the researcher was able to make findings and recommendations as per the objectives of the study. The objectives of the study included examining how drug mules smuggle drugs across South African borders; what role drug mules play in drug trafficking syndicates and the motivations and reasons why South Africans are increasingly being recruited as drug mules. The researcher also attempted to determine the nature and extent of the drug demand supply in and to South Africa. By making the deduction that drug demand and drug supply are interrelated the researcher was ultimately able to conclude that drug mules will continue to engage in drug smuggling as long as there is a demand for drugs and readily available drug supply routes to and from a county. From the media reports analysed cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin were the drugs most smuggled by South African drug mules. It is also clear from the media reports that cocaine and methamphetamine are smuggled in the largest quantities by South African drug mules. The quantities of heroin found in the possession of South African drug mules were insignificantly small. This contradicts treatment centre data analysed that indicated heroin and methamphetamine users were almost double in numbers in comparison to cocaine users being treated at centres. Most South African drug mules are used to smuggle drugs to the cocaine markets in Europe and South Africa; the cannabis/marijuana (herb) market in Europe; the cannabis (resin) hashish market in Canada and the United States of America; the crystal methamphetamine market in the Far East (largely Japan and Korea) and the heroin market in South Africa. Details: Pretoria: University of South Africa, 2014. 174p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed May 24, 2016 at: http://uir.unisa.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10500/19039/dissertation_van_%20heerden_a.pdf?sequence=1 Year: 2014 Country: South Africa URL: http://uir.unisa.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10500/19039/dissertation_van_%20heerden_a.pdf?sequence=1 Shelf Number: 139143 Keywords: Drug Markets Drug Mules Drug Smuggling Drug TraffickersDrug Trafficking |
Author: European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) Title: Drug trafficking penalties across the European Union: a survey of expert opinion. Technical report Summary: The results of a study on national drug trafficking laws and their application in the Member States of the European Union are presented in this report. It is based on an analysis of the national laws and on the opinions of legal practitioners — judges, prosecutors and defence lawyers — from 26 countries. The penalties set out in national laws for trafficking cannabis, amphetamine, cocaine and heroin are compared with the sentencing outcomes expected by the legal practitioners, including penalties imposed and the estimated time likely to be spent in prison. Details: Lisbon, Portugal: Praca Europa, 2017. 132p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 1, 2017 at: http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/system/files/publications/3573/Trafficking-penalties.pdf Year: 2017 Country: Europe URL: http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/system/files/publications/3573/Trafficking-penalties.pdf Shelf Number: 140778 Keywords: Drug EnforcementDrug PolicyDrug TraffickersDrug TraffickingPunishmentSentencing |
Author: United States Sentencing Commission Title: Recidivism Among Federal Drug Trafficking Offenders Summary: The Commission's Ongoing Recidivism Research The United States Sentencing Commission began studying recidivism shortly after the enactment of the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984 ("SRA"). The Commission’s recent publication Recidivism Among Federal Offenders: A Comprehensive Overview ("Recidivism Overview Report") discussed the history of this study in greater detail. Recidivism information is central to three of the primary purposes of punishment described in the SRA—specific deterrence, incapacitation, and rehabilitation—all of which focus on prevention of future crimes through correctional intervention. Information about recidivism is also relevant to the Commission’s obligation to formulate sentencing policy that "reflect[s], to the extent practicable, advancements in knowledge of human behavior as it relates to the sentencing process." Considerations of recidivism by federal offenders were also central to the Commission’s initial work in developing the Guidelines Manual's criminal history provisions.4 They remain important to subsequent work, including the retroactive application of sentencing reductions in cases involving crack cocaine, and continue to be a key consideration in the Commission’s work today. Recent developments, particularly public attention to the size of the federal prison population and the costs of incarceration, have highlighted the importance of studying recidivism among federal offenders. The Commission's current recidivism research substantially expands on the scope of previous Commission recidivism projects. In addition to a different set of offenders— U.S. citizen federal offenders released in 2005—the project's study group is much larger than those in previous Commission studies. A larger study group provides the opportunity to develop statistically useful conclusions about many subgroups of federal offenders. This Report: Recidivism Among Federal Drug Trafficking Offenders This report examines a group of 10,888 federal drug trafficking offenders who were released in calendar year 2005. They were originally sentenced between fiscal year 1991 and the first quarter of fiscal year 2006. Offenders were placed in this group based on the primary sentencing guideline that the court applied when sentencing the offender. One-half (50.0%) of these drug trafficking offenders were rearrested for a new crime or for an alleged violation of their supervision over the follow-up period of eight years. This compares to a 49.3 percent rearrest rate for all offenders reported in the Recidivism Overview Report. These 10,888 offenders, who were all U.S. citizens, represent 42.8 percent of the 25,431 federal offenders who were released in calendar year 200510 and analyzed in the Recidivism Overview Report. Among those offenders in this group for whom drug type information was available,11 crack cocaine was the most common primary drug type, with 2,953 crack cocaine offenders (27.3% of the 10,814 offenders with a known primary drug type). The remaining primary drug types, in order of prevalence, were marijuana (n=2,570, 23.8%), powder cocaine (n=2,350, 21.7%), methamphetamine (n=1,826, 16.9%), and heroin (n=590, 5.5%). An additional 525 (4.9%) offenders had some other type of drug as the primary type of drug in their offense, and were not studied separately for purposes of this report. Details: Washington, DC: USSC, 2017. 149p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 22, 2017 at: http://www.ussc.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/research-and-publications/research-publications/2017/20170221_Recidivism-Drugs.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United States URL: http://www.ussc.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/research-and-publications/research-publications/2017/20170221_Recidivism-Drugs.pdf Shelf Number: 141174 Keywords: Drug OffendersDrug TraffickersDrug TraffickingFederal OffendersRecidivism |
Author: New York City Department of Investigation Title: NYCHA Is Still Failing to Remove Dangerous Criminals from Public Housing Summary: The New York City Housing Authority ("NYCHA") continues to allow criminals - including gang members, drug traffickers, and violent offenders - to reside in public housing. Despite a mandate to protect its 400,000 lawful tenants, NYCHA has failed to take meaningful steps, or to exercise the legal remedies already available, to remove dangerous offenders from public housing apartments. In December 2015, the New York City Department of Investigation ("DOI") issued a Report that highlighted the failure of the New York City Police Department ("NYPD") to comply with an internal NYPD Patrol Guide procedure known as "Cases For Legal Action," and a similar 1996 Memorandum of Understanding ("MOU") with NYCHA, both of which require NYPD to report to NYCHA arrests of NYCHA residents for certain violent or other serious crimes. The purpose of these policies is to enable NYCHA, the largest landlord in New York City, to undertake its critical obligation to maintain safety and security at public housing developments by staying apprised of criminal activity, removing criminal offenders when needed to protect public safety, and addressing physical security vulnerabilities. Additionally, the Report demonstrated that even when made aware of resident arrests, NYCHA often failed to take steps to remove criminal offenders from public housing and protect the overwhelming majority of law-abiding residents. The 2015 Report highlighted failures in the following areas: - NYPD had not fully upheld its commitment to share information with NYCHA about resident arrests on NYCHA grounds, in violation of both the MOU, and NYPD's Cases For Legal Action policy promulgated as Patrol Guide #214-07. - NYCHA was failing to use available tools, including a procedure known as "Permanent Exclusion," to ensure that criminal offenders who threatened their neighbors' safety or peaceful tenancy were removed from public housing. Through Permanent Exclusion, NYCHA may exercise its discretion to remove an individual criminal offender from public housing, and thus avoid eviction of the entire household. DOI found that NYCHA's enforcement of Permanent Exclusion was essentially toothless, thus frequently allowing criminal offenders to remain in or return to NYCHA housing without consequences. - DOI identified key flaws in NYCHA's systems to monitor and enforce Permanent Exclusion, including severe understaffing of investigative and legal staff, and inadequate safety equipment and protocols for field investigators. In the 2015 Report, DOI made nine Policy and Procedure Recommendations for improvement, which both NYPD and NYCHA accepted and agreed to implement. DOI has now conducted a follow-up investigation to check whether meaningful progress has been made to address the vulnerabilities highlighted in the 2015 Report and to make additional recommendations to ensure the safety of NYCHA tenants. Details: New York: New York City Department of Investigation, 2017. 70p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 26, 2018 at: http://www1.nyc.gov/assets/doi/reports/pdf/2017/2017-03-28-NYCHAMOUreport.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United States URL: http://www1.nyc.gov/assets/doi/reports/pdf/2017/2017-03-28-NYCHAMOUreport.pdf Shelf Number: 149899 Keywords: Drug TraffickersGangsPublic HousingPublic SafetyViolent Offenders |
Author: Intergovernmental Action Group Against Money Laundering in West Africa Title: Typologies Report on Laundering the Proceeds of Illicit Trafficking in Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances in West Africa Summary: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY I Drug trafficking is the largest source of illicit funds globally. This is largely due to the wide gap between production cost and the final price the consumer pays, especially in Western Europe and North America. For the trafficker, profit is the motive and is largely determined by the risk they are willing to take to deliver the drugs to the highest paying consumer. Locally, massive cannabis cultivation and consumption has been a source of major concern in the not only because of the illegal money it generates but also due to the associated health hazards. In recent years, West Africa has been targeted by drug traffickers from Latin America with large consignment of cocaine which is warehoused in the region and mostly shipped in small quantities to Europe and other destinations using local couriers. The problem has attracted attention at the highest level in the region as well as globally. There are ongoing regional initiatives to address the problem. II As a contribution to that initiative, and in order to have a good understanding of the relationship between money laundering and drug trafficking in the region, this typologies exercise was conducted. The study analyses various facets of the legal and enforcement environment of AML and Drug trafficking in ECOWAS member States. It looked at the vulnerabilities of the region and why West Africa has become a target for drug traffickers. It also looked at the techniques, methods, mechanisms and instruments used by drug traffickers to launder the proceeds of drug trafficking by reviewing relevant case studies and identifying typologies. III Twelve out of fifteen ECOWAS countries were involved in the study. One expert was identified in each of the 12 countries who helped to administer the two questionnaires developed for the study and produced a country report. A typologies workshop was held where country reports were reviewed, including case studies. IV The findings of the study indicates that drug traffickers employ complex means to launder money generated from drug trafficking including the use of lawyers, bureau de change, trade, cash couriers,, front companies, purchase of real estate, etc. V With regard to legal framework, most of the AML laws are quite recent compared to the drug trafficking laws. In some countries, the penalty for drug offences is not proportionate and dissuasive. There is general lack of effectiveness with regard to the enforcement of AML laws across board. Capacity to carry out effective AML investigation is generally low and many ML predicate offences are not investigated for ML. The domination of the informal sector and cash transaction of the economy of the region are obstacles to effective enforcement/implementation of AML measures. The disparity in AML capacity among member States is a source of concern and need to be urgently addressed. VI A number of recommendations were made which, if implemented will help to improve the overall implementation of AML measures both at the member States and at the regional levels. Summary of Findings VII The following is the summary of the major findings of the exercise: A. All countries in West Africa are extremely vulnerable to drug trafficking and related money laundering. The vulnerability is related to geographical, political, legal, institutional, economic and social factors. The large sea coast is either partly or completely unmanned in most parts of the region. Generally, inland borders are porous and not effectively manned across the region. B. Most of the countries have AML laws that were enacted not more than 4 years earlier, and the necessary infrastructure and human capacity to support the execution of the law are still being put in place. In a number of the countries, this process has been stalled by lack of resources. C. The trafficking tends to concentrate in countries with unstable political, social and economical situation and weak controls (legal, enforcement, prosecutorial and judicial). D. The laundering of the money generated from drug trafficking tend to be carried out in stable countries with relatively fair economy in the region where cash dominates transactions and is difficult for authorities to monitor cash inflows and outflows, as well as some in countries outside the region (largely countries where the heads of the networks operate from and the countries of some of the drug couriers from outside of the region). E. Corruption appears to play an important part in the cross-border movement of proceeds of crime as cash or when converted into goods. F. The general lack of capacity to interdict illicit drugs especially cocaine and heroin, makes money laundering almost inevitable due to the prevailing opportunities for money laundering in the informal sector. G. There is general lack of capacity for money laundering investigation in most of the countries coupled with the fact that money laundering investigation has not been fully integrated in drug trafficking investigation in most of the countries. Investigating money laundering during drug investigation does not appear to be a top priority as indicated by the apparent absence of asset seizure and confiscation despite convictions obtained of drug traffickers in most of the countries and the significant drug seizures made. H. Coordination between the investigating agencies and FIUs during drug trafficking related money laundering investigation is very week. The trust factor remains an important element in this lack of coordination. I. Over emphasis of money laundering through the formal financial system undermines overall AML/CFT efforts especially in West Africa where the cash dominated informal sector is the preferred channel for laundering the proceeds of crime, including drug trafficking. J. Reporting entities do not appear to be providing STRs commensurate with the level of the drug trafficking problems in most of the countries. This may be as a result of lack of expertise in ML risk analysis or lack of interest in providing such information. K. Most of the FIUs do not have sufficient analytical expertise to detect drug trafficking related money laundering. Emphasis appears to be placed more on corruption related ML by the FIUs. L. Cross border information sharing both in the control of drug trafficking and related money laundering is virtually absent except where there is a public incidence that affect countries. Details: Dakar, Senegal: GIABA, 2010. 82p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 14, 2019 at: https://www.giaba.org/media/f/118_final-drugs-typologies-report-dev071811---english.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Africa URL: https://www.giaba.org/media/f/118_final-drugs-typologies-report-dev071811---english.pdf Shelf Number: 154138 Keywords: Anti-Money LaunderingCocaineCorruptionDrug TraffickersDrug TraffickingDrug TypologiesECOWASFIUIllicit DrugsMoney LaunderingWest Africa |
Author: Magliocca, Nicholas R. Title: Modeling Cocaine Traffickers and Counterdrug Interdiction Forces as a Complex Adaptive System Summary: Abstract: Counterdrug interdiction efforts designed to seize or disrupt cocaine shipments between South American source zones and US markets remain a core US "supply side" drug policy and national security strategy. However, despite a long history of US-led interdiction efforts in the Western Hemisphere, cocaine movements to the United States through Central America, or "narco-trafficking," continue to rise. Here, we developed a spatially explicit agent-based model (ABM), called "NarcoLogic," of narco-trafficker operational decision making in response to interdiction forces to investigate the root causes of interdiction ineffectiveness across space and time. The central premise tested was that spatial proliferation and resiliency of narco-trafficking are not a consequence of ineffective interdiction, but rather part and natural consequence of interdiction itself. Model development relied on multiple theoretical perspectives, empirical studies, media reports, and the authors' own years of field research in the region. Parameterization and validation used the best available, authoritative data source for illicit cocaine flows. Despite inherently biased, unreliable, and/or incomplete data of a clandestine phenomenon, the model compellingly reproduced the "cat-and-mouse" dynamic between narco-traffickers and interdiction forces others have qualitatively described. The model produced qualitatively accurate and quantitatively realistic spatial and temporal patterns of cocaine trafficking in response to interdiction events. The NarcoLogic model offers a much-needed, evidence-based tool for the robust assessment of different drug policy scenarios, and their likely impact on trafficker behavior and the many collateral damages associated with the militarized war on drugs. Details: S.L.: Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences of the United States of America, 2018. 9p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 27, 2019 at: https://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/116/16/7784.full.pdf Year: 2018 Country: International URL: https://www.pnas.org/content/116/16/7784 Shelf Number: 157047 Keywords: CocaineDrug TradeDrug TraffickersDrug TraffickingIllegal TradeIllicit TradeNarcoticsWar on Drugs |